Drop-restoring device for telephone-switchboards.



No. 639,527. Patented Dec. l9, I899.

- F. B. 600K.

DROP RESTORING DEVICE FOR TELEPHONE SWITCHBOARDS.

(Application filed Nov. 20, 1896.)

(No Model.) 7

now had to the accompanying drawings, in

and operated for restoration by my improved NITED STATES FRANK I3. COOK,OF

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

DROP-RESTORING DEVICE FOR TELEPHONE-SWITCHBOARDS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 639,527, dated December19, 1899.

Original application filed November 30, 1894, Serial No. 530,441.Divided andthis application filed November 20,1896. Serial To all whomit may concern.-

Be it known that I, FRANK B. COOK, a citi-- zen of the United States,residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Drop-Returning Devicesfor Telephone-Switchboards, of which the following is a specification.

This application is a division of Serial No. 530,441, filed November30,1894.

My invention relates more particularly to means wherebyannunciator-drops of a telephone-switchboard may be restored to theirnormal position.

My invention has for its object the provision of a simply-constructeddevice which is of compact form and capable of simultaneously restoringto their normal position a number of annunciator-drops usually arrangedin vertical rows upon the face of the switchboard.

My invention consists in certain details of construction whereby theforegoing object is accomplished, including the idea of separability ofthe connecting parts between the various annunciator-drops arranged invertical rows, whereby the parts of the simultaneous restoring deviceare attached to the various drops, so that when the drops are positionedthe restoring device as a Whole is also connected together into theposition to be operated, whereby to simultaneously restore the drops ofany given vertical row.

In carrying out my invention I separate the drop-restoring apparatusinto parts or separate members which are assembled upon each of the annunciator-drops,whereby when the drops are arranged in position invertical rows upon the switchboards 'tne separable parts of thedrop-restoring apparatus are positioned together in such a manner thatall the drops of each vertical row are capable of restorationsimultaneously from one point of operation.

My invention also has certain other objects in view; and it consists incertain features of construction to be described, reference being Which-Figure 1 is a front elevation of a number of annunciator-drops assembledin position (No model.)

apparatus. Fig.2 is a side or edge View of same. Fig. 3-is a top edgeview looking down upon the drops and restoring apparatus. Fig. 4 is avertical section on the line y y of Fig.

3. Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view of oneseparable lifting member.Fig. 6 is an en larged detail sectional view on the line a: a: of Fig.2.

In the operation of a telephone-exchange switchboard it is well knownthat the annunciator-drops are arranged in what maybe termed verticalrows, one drop for each line, and that these drops are caused to fallwhen a signal is extended over the corresponding line. It is alsonecessary when self-restoring drops are not employed to manually restoreeach drop after it has displayed the indicatingnumber to a normalposition in readiness to be again operated when a signal is extended. Inorder to expedite the restoration of the drops, it has heretofore beencustomary to employ means whereby all the drops on any given section ofswitchboard may be simultaneously restored from one point of operation.This plan or method of restoring drops has been also employed to aconsiderable extent in What are known as hotel annunciator systems, aswell as for elevators and other like devices.

Each horizontal row of annunciator-drops 12 are mounted upon abase-strip 13, and these strips are in turn secured the one above theother on the frame of the switchboard. Each annunciator-drop 12 isprovided with a separable lifting member 14, Fig. 5, consisting of thelifting rod or rods 15, projected from the lifting and holding lip 16.The lip 16 may be made of soft metal having sufficient flexibility topermit it to be bent and adjusted to the required thickness of thedrop-shutter.

It Will be observed that each drop has a lifting member 14 interposedand held separably connected with the lifting member of the nextsucceeding drop in the vertical row, and thus the several separatelifting members constitute, in effect, a continuous lifting memberextending from the lever 17 to the uppermost drop of the vertical rowand carrying lifting and holding lips 16 to engage the shutter 19 ofeach drop. A spring 20 bears upon the uppermost lifting member 14,

and thus exerts a pressure which tends to cause the lifting members toassume positions with their lips 16 out of engaging position with theshutters, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. A cross-bar 20 serves as a stop tolimit the downward movement of the lifting members, the lug 1S engagingsaid cross-bar. \Vhen the lever 17 is manually pressed downward, thelifting members nnitedly act as a 0011- tinuous member to raise allthelips 16 of that vertical row and engage any shutter 19 which may havefallen in that vertical row, and if more than one has fallen they areraised simultaneously. The lifting-lip 16 also serves to hold theshutter 19 in a vertical position momentarily until the annunciator-hook21 has engaged the shutterto lock it in position. This result isaccomplished by reason of the length of the lip 16, which extends whenraised to restore a shutter above the pivot 22 of the shutter, andtherefore hoids the shutter closed from the time the lip 16 reaches alevel with the pivot 22 during the balance of the upward movement, thetime the lip is stationary, and after the downward movement is starteduntil the lip assumes a position below said pivot.

It will be observed that the lifting-rods 15 are extended throughchannels in the dropplate 23, as shown in Fi 6, and that each of thelifting members are held movably in position.

From the above description it is evident that the restoring device neednot be manually held until the indicator is looked, as in someannunciators, nor need the indicator be thrown above or beyond itsnormal position to allow time for a catch to operate While the indicatoris returning to its normal position, as in other annunciators. iVhile Ihave shown and described such a device, I do not wish to be understoodas limiting my in vention' to the idea of separable parts, it beingevident that certain features of my invention may be used in connectionwith other than separable parts.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new therein, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. An annunciator-drop-restoring device consisting of a plurality ofseparable lifting members, one member assembled upon eachannunciator-drop, whereby when the drops are positioned upon theswitchboard-frame the said lifting members are connected in a manner toform a continuous lifting member for each vertical row of drops upon theboard, and means for operating the continuous lifting member from onepoint to restore all the fallen drops of the vertical rowsimultaneously.

2. In a restoring device for the pivoted shutters of annunciators, thecombination with a reciprocating lifting-rod an d man uallyoperatedlever for actuating said rod, of a series of engaging members eachconsisting of a forwardly-extended portion projected from thelifting-rod and an upturned lip, which lip engages the face of theshutter and slides downwardly along said face when the liftingrod isreleased, whereby the shutter is momentarily held in a stationaryposition after the lifting rod is released, and a latch for oilgagingthe shutter, the engagement of which is insured by holding the shuttermomentarily in the stationary position aforesaid.

3. An annunciator-drop-restoring device consisting of a plurality ofseparable lifting members, one member assembled upon eachannuneiator-drop, whereby when the drops are positioned upon theswitchboard-frame the said lifting members are connected in a manner toform a continuous lifting member for each vertical row of drops upon theboard, together with a pivoted lifting-lever positioned below thelowermost drop of a vertical row and adapted to engage the continuouslifting member when manually operated to restore all the fallen dropssimultaneously from one point of operation.

4:. In a restoring device for annunciators adapted to engage and restorethe shutters while being moved manually in one direction, means-forengaging the face of said shutters said means having a portion of theirmovement parallel to the engaged faces of the shutters thereby holdingthem in a stationary position momentarily after the restoring device isreleased and moving in the other direction.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FRANK B. COOK. Witnesses:

J. B. WEIR, OHAs. O. BITLKLEY.

